Bagan to start using e-ticket entrance fee system Monday

The new system is being installed by Shin Than Thu Co Ltd, a public company that won the tender earlier this month, U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the department, said on Thursday.

Shin Than Thu won with a bid of K7 billion for the project in the 2018-19 financial year.

In 2016, the collection of Bagan’s entrance fees was given to a private enterprise. The Myanmar Tourism Federation won the tender to collect the fees for five years, but in August this year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs invited a new tender for fee collection to switch to the e-ticket payment system.

According to a contract signed between the ministry and the federation, the government receives 90 percent of the proceeds, while the federation keeps 6pc for hiring staff and tourism promotion, and 4pc goes to regional development and temple restoration.

In fiscal 2017-18, Bagan received about 300,000 international visitors, who paid K25,000 (US$15.67) each and stayed an average of three days. The federation collected K7.5 billion in entrance fees last year.

“The company has to pay K7 billion to the government within a year regardless of how much they collect from tourists. Also there will be no more sharing of revenue for regional development and pagoda maintenance,” U Aung Aung Kyaw said.

An entrance fee for Bagan was first levied in 1995, and all of the money went to the state.

Source: Myanmar Times